Bike Road Markings & Signs

The City is building a well-connected network of bicycle facilities to make cycling more attractive to a broader range of people. Our network includes road markings and signs to make it safer for people who are cycling, walking, and driving to share our streets and pathways. Below is an explanation of how these markings and signs work.

ELEPHANT’S FEET

Elephant’s Feet are dots that are parallel to crosswalk markings that tell cyclists they do not need to dismount as they would on a regular crosswalk. Cyclists should slow down and only cross when it is safe.

BIKE BOX

A painted Bike Box at an intersection is where cyclists wait ahead of traffic. Motorists stop behind the box. This makes bikes more visible and predictable for drivers. Motorists cannot make a right turn on red if there are cyclists in the box.

Bike Detector

The Bike Detector tells the traffic signal when a cyclist is waiting for the light to turn green. Line up your bicycle wheels with the lines on either side of the bicycle detector symbol to trigger the green light.

Sharrow Symbol

Sharrows are used where cyclists share the lane with motorists, either in single file or side-by-side. They guide cyclists to the safest place on the street to ride and inform drivers to share the lane with cyclists.

DIAMOND-AND-BIKE SYMBOL

The Diamond Symbol means that a lane is reserved for a specific use. When it is paired with a Bike Symbol, it means the lane is reserved for cyclists. Cars, buses and motorcycles are not permitted to travel or stop in this lane unless making a right turn onto a cross street.

Green Pavement

PAINTED BUFFER ALONG A BIKE LANE

A Painted Buffer along a bike lane increases the gap between vehicles and cyclists. Cars should not park or travel in a Painted Buffer.

Shared Pathway

Off-road paths such as greenways with the Shared Pathway symbol are shared by pedestrians and cyclists. When cycling, yield to people walking. Look for this symbol on our greenways including the Spirit Trail and Green Necklace.